TRUMP: ‘WE’RE NOT PAYING ANYTHING … IT WILL BE BUSINESS FOR US’: Details are still to be worked out, but President Donald Trump has teased a major shift in U.S. policy prompted by Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued rejection of every effort Trump has made to end the war in Ukraine with a negotiated settlement.
“I am very disappointed with President Putin. I thought he was somebody that meant what he said — and he’ll talk so beautifully, then he’ll bomb people at night. We don’t like that,” Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews last night. “Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then he bombs everybody in the evening. That is a little bit of a problem there and I don’t like it.”
Trump appeared to be waiting to make the formal announcement until NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte arrived in Washington today for a hastily arranged two-day visit. “We basically are going to send them various pieces of very sophisticated military, they’re going to pay us 100% for them, and that’s the way we want it,” Trump said. “So, as we send equipment, they’re going to reimburse us for that equipment. Doesn’t that sound good?”
“I haven’t agreed on the number yet, but they’re going to have some [weapons] because they do need protection. But the European Union is paying for it we’re not paying anything for it but we will send it it will be business for us,” Trump said. “We will send them patriots which they desperately need.”
UKRAINE BENEFITS FROM TRUMP’S FRUSTRATION WITH PUTIN, BUT VOLATILITY REMAINS
ON SANCTIONS: “WE’LL SEE WHAT WE WILL SEE’: Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), having just returned from meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on the sidelines of a conference in Italy, appeared together on CBS’s Face the Nation to talk up their bill to impose new sanctions on Russia. But when asked last night if he would be announcing sanctions against Russia, Trump said, “We’re gonna see what we will see tomorrow,” noting that “Europe has announced sanctions.”
“Dick and I have got 85 co-sponsors in the United States Senate for congressional sanctions with a sledgehammer available to President Trump to go after Putin’s economy and all those countries who prop up the Putin war machine,” Graham said on CBS. “But we’re going after the people who keep Putin in business and additional sanctions on Russia itself. This is truly a sledgehammer available to President Trump to end this war.”
“This has to be a critical moment for these sanctions. And bringing down this sledgehammer at this moment was emphasized by all of the European allies who were at the meeting that Sen. Graham and I attended in Europe,” Blumenthal said. “I think, at this moment, is our unity. Sen. Graham and I, Republican and Democrat, coming together, the European leaders with diverse views, also in unity.”
“I think a multifaceted approach here is the only way to bring Putin to the table, because he’s a thug. He understands only force,” Blumenthal said.
GRAHAM SAYS ‘RECORD LEVEL’ OF US MILITARY SUPPORT TO UKRAINE EXPECTED SOON
UKRAINE PLANNING NEW LONG-RANGE ATTACKS: Open source satellite imagery shows Russia building reinforced hangers and other structures in Kursk and several other regions in Russia in anticipation of further Ukrainian attacks on its airfield, which have proved vulnerable to drone strikes, according to the Institute for the Study of War.
“We are preparing our new long-range strikes,” Zelensky said yesterday, after meeting with his top commanders and vowing to “do everything possible to bring the war onto Russian territory.”
On Face the Nation Sunday, host Margaret Brennan cited what she described as a “recent defense intelligence assessment” that predicted that Ukraine’s shortfall in artillery and drones will lead to “marked Russian territorial gains in 2026, with Russia gaining 7-1 firepower superiority by this winter.”
But on Fox News, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, said Putin has once again miscalculated.
“He has escalated the war rather dramatically, and particularly against Ukrainian citizens. He’s trying to break their will and support of the government to force Zelensky to come to the negotiating table with Russia and make some serious concessions that Zelensky is obviously not prepared to make at this time,” Keane told Maria Bartiromo on her Sunday Morning Futures program.
“And what has that led to President Trump? Well, it has frustrated him. And, certainly, what — Putin wanted to frustrate the president. He wants the president to be so frustrated that he will pull away his support from Ukraine,” Keane said. “Well, he accomplished one part of that. The president is frustrated. But guess what? He’s not pulling away from Ukraine.”
“The Russian army has fallen far short of its command’s expectations for this summer,” Zelensky said in a post on X. “We see the enemy’s intentions and attempts to advance offensive operations, and it is important that each of these attempts falters thanks to the resilience of our units and active defense.”
Zelensky is meeting today with special envoy retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg arrived in Kyiv this morning.
OPINION: TRUMP’S ENCOURAGING PIVOT ON PUTIN
Good Monday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. If signing up doesn’t work, shoot us an email and we’ll add you to our list. And be sure to follow me on Threads and/or on X @jamiejmcintyre.
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HAPPENING TODAY: President Trump’s meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte is scheduled for 10 a.m. in the Oval Office. Guidance from the White House lists the meeting as closed to the press, but if past practice is any guide, it seems likely Trump will want to hold court with Rutte by his side.
Yesterday, NATO issued a two-sentence release, announcing Rutte’s visit would last through tomorrow. “The Secretary-General will meet with the President of the United States, Mr. Donald J. Trump, the Secretary of State, Mr. Marco Rubio, and the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Pete Hegseth, as well as Members of Congress,” the statement said. A dinner with members of Congress is set for tonight.
ALSO TODAY: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will host his German counterpart, Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, at the Pentagon at 2 p.m. According to German media, a top agenda item will be a discussion of Germany’s desire to purchase two Patriot air defense systems on behalf of Ukraine.
The Institute for the Study of War quotes the head of Germany’s Planning and Command Staff, Maj. Gen. Christian Freuding, as confirming that Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz discussed the potential purchase in recent days.
“Freuding stated that Germany has opened a Patriot interceptor production line and that Germany will produce the first European-made Patriot interceptors in late 2026 or early 2027,” the ISW said.
JOHNSON SAYS HOUSE HAS ‘BIG APPETITE’ FOR BILL WITH NEW SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA AND ‘BULLY’ PUTIN
SENATE NDAA AD $32 BILLION FOR DEFENSE: On Friday, the Senate Armed Services Committee, on 26-1 bipartisan vote, sent the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor for consideration.
The committee added $32 billion to the White House’s budget plan, bringing total defense spending to 924.7 billion for the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1.
Here’s the breakdown, according to a summary released by the committee:
- Department of Defense: $878.7 billion
- Department of Energy: $35.2 billion
- NDAA Topline subtotal: 913.9 billion
- Defense-related activities outside NDAA Jurisdiction: $10.8 billion
- National Defense Topline: $924.7
The annual must-pass defense policy bill includes $500 million for Ukraine by extending the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative through 2028. The funding level is a $200 million increase from $300 million in 2025.
Most of the extra $32 billion would go to fund additional investments in F-35s, shipbuilding and munitions, including a requirement that the Pentagon produce a report detailing the stockpiles of critical munitions required to fight simultaneous conflicts in different theaters.
The bill would also authorize 10 additional F-35A fighter jets above the request under the White House budget.
The House Armed Services Committee marks up its version of the NDAA tomorrow at 10 a.m. A draft of the House version, known as the Chairman’s Mark, shows that there are significant differences between the House and Senate versions that will have to be reconciled before final passage.
For instance the Senate version zeroes out funding for the E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control aircraft, while the House proposes adding $600 million to save the Wedgetail.
DEFENSE HAWKS FIND ‘RELIEF’ IN TRUMP’S SHIFT ON RUSSIA AND ADVERSARIES
THE RUNDOWN:
Washington Examiner: Graham says ‘record level’ of US military support to Ukraine expected soon
Washington Examiner: Johnson says House has ‘big appetite’ for bill with new sanctions on Russia and ‘bully’ Putin
Washington Examiner: Russian drone, cruise missile, and bomb attacks kill at least six in Ukraine
Washington Examiner: Ukraine benefits from Trump’s frustration with Putin, but volatility remains
Washington Examiner: Trump’s first six months tests US defense stockpiles — and limited production
Washington Examiner: Houthis return with a vengeance. How will Trump administration respond?
Washington Examiner: A day with Florida state troopers nabbing illegal immigrants for ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
Washington Examiner: Noem says judicial ‘dignity’ is lacking amid latest ruling against deportations
Washington Examiner: Five more large-scale detention facilities like ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ coming soon, Noem says
Washington Examiner: Homan says physical appearance alone not enough to detain suspected illegal immigrants
Washington Examiner: Padilla muses he could be arrested by ICE
Washington Examiner: Biden insists he made every clemency decision as House investigation into autopen ramps up
Washington Examiner: Court rules Lloyd Austin had authority to throw out plea deals for 9/11 coconspirators
Washington Examiner: One year later, Butler still has few answers
Washington Examiner: Ex-Secret Service director blames ‘perfect storm’ for Butler shooting in report rebuttal
Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump’s encouraging pivot on Putin
AP: Trump envoy arrives in Kyiv as US pledges Patriot missiles to Ukraine
Defense One: Drones Are Now Bullets: How a New Pentagon Policy May Accelerate Robot Warfare
Soldier of Fortune: Amid Blood and Chaos, Foreign Powers Exploit Ukraine as a Live-Fire Test Lab
Air & Space Forces Magazine: Iranian Ballistic Missile Hit US Air Base in Qatar in June, Pentagon Reveals
Air & Space Forces Magazine: House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
Military.com: 3.8% Raise for Service Members Endorsed by House and Senate Defense Bills
DefenseScoop: Senate Armed Services Committee Wants DOD to Explore ‘Tactical’ Cyber Employment
Breaking Defense: US Clears Norway to Purchase $2.6B Worth of HH-60W Helicopters
The War Zone: Super Quiet Special Operations Drones Being Modified to Launch Smaller Drones
New York Times: Appeals Court Overturns Plea Deal in 9/11 Case
Air & Space Forces Magazine: USAF Moves F-16s from Japan to Korea, Clearing Way for F-35s
Militarycom: Outgoing Air Force Recruiting Commander Says Service Is on ‘Solid Ground’ After Pandemic Slump
Air & Space Forces Magazine: B-52 Bomber Task Force Kicks Off in Guam as Pacific Exercises Rev Up
Breaking Defense: Pentagon Shifts Control of Blue UAS List to DCMA in Effort to Scale Secure Drone Fleet
Task & Purpose: Coast Guard Rescue Crew Awarded Distinguish Flying Crosses, Air Medals for Actions in Texas
Wall Street Journal: OPINION: Trump Isn’t Rebuilding the US Military
THE CALENDAR:
MONDAY | JULY 14
2 p.m. — Atlantic Council virtual event on new report: “Russia Future Rulers,” with Anton Barbashin, co-founder and editorial director of Riddle Russia; Shelby Magid, deputy director of the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center; Mikhail Zygar, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center; and Brian Whitmore, nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center and assistant professor of practice at the University of Texas – Arlington https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/report-launch
2 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Next Steps in U.S.-China Great Power Competition with the House Republican Policy Committee,” with Rep. Kevin Hern (R-OK); Michael Baumgartner (R-WA); and Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) https://www.hudson.org/events/next-steps-us-china-great-power-competition
TUESDAY | JULY 15
8:45 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies fireside chat: “U.S. soft power and competition with China,” with Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), ranking member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee; John Hamre, CSIS President and CEO; Michael Schiffer, former USAID assistant administrator, Asia Bureau; James Richardson, former USAID transformation task team coordinator, and former director of the office of foreign assistance, U.S. Department of State; Victor Cha, president, CSIS Geopolitics and Foreign Policy Department and Korea Chair; Enoh Ebong, president, CSIS Global Development Department; and Henrietta Levin, senior fellow, CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies https://docs.google.com/forms
9 a.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Drone Warfare and Securing America Military Against Emerging Threats,” with Sen. John Boozman (R-AR); Thomas Shugart, Center for a New American Security adjunct senior fellow; and Timothy Walton, senior fellow at the Hudson Center for Defense Concepts and Technology https://www.hudson.org/events/drone-warfare
9 a.m. 1800 Presidents St., Reston, Virginia — Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association TechNet Emergence 2025 conference, through July 16, with Jeffrey Singleton, deputy assistant secretary of defense science and technology futures; and Meggan Schoenberg, principal director of integrated network system of systems in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies https://www.afcea.org/events/technet-emergence-2025
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nominations of Michael Waltz to be U.S. representative to the U.N. and the U.S. representative in the Security Council of the U.N. and the U.S. representative to the sessions of the General Assembly of the U.N.; John Arrigo to be U.S. ambassador to Portugal; and Christine Toretti to be U.S. ambassador to Sweden 1 http://foreign.senate.gov
10 a.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs East Asia and Pacific Subcommittee hearing: “Breaking China Chokehold on Critical Mineral Supply Chains,” with testimony from former Assistant Secretary of State for Energy Resources Frank Fannon, managing director of Fannon Global Advisors; former Sen. Joseph Manchin (D-WV); and Jose Fernandez, former undersecretary of state for economic growth, energy and the environment http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
10 a.m. 310 Cannon — House Homeland Security Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee hearing: “Surveillance, Sabotage, and Strikes: Industry Perspectives on How Drone Warfare Abroad Is Transforming Threats at Home,” with testimony from Tom Walker, founder and CEO of DroneUP, LLC.; Brett Feddersen, vice president for strategy and government affairs at D-Fend Solutions; and Church Hutton, chief growth officer of AeroVironment, Inc. http://homeland.house.gov
10 a.m. — German Marshall Fund of the U.S. virtual discussion: “Central Europe Role in Ukraine Reconstruction,” with Bogdan Zawadewicz, head of geopolitical risk analysis at the Polish Development Bank; Zsuzsanna Vegh, program officer at Transatlantic Trusts; Ievgeniia Bodnya, GMFUS non-resident fellow for Ukraine relief, resilience and recovery; Dominik Istrate, GMFUS ReThink CEE fellow https://www.gmfus.org/event/central-europes-role-ukraines-reconstruction
10 a.m. — Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion with Derek Tournear, director of the Space Development Agency on his perspectives on the accomplishments and remaining challenges for his SDA team https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/dr-derek-tournear/
11 a.m. — Arab Center virtual discussion: “The Future of US-Syria Relations and the Implications of Lifting the Sanctions,” with Adam Abdel Mawfa, resident coordinator in Syria at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs; Natasha Hall, Center for Strategic and International Studies nonresident senior associate; and Marwan Kabalan, director of political studies at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register
1 p.m. — Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft virtual book discussion: Total Defense: The New Deal and the Origins of National Security, with author Andrew Preston, professor in diplomacy and statecraft, University of Virginia History Department; Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace American Statecraft Program; and Marcus Stanley, director of studies at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft https://quincyinst.org/events/book-talk-total-defense
1 p.m. — National Defense Industrial Association and Mercury Systems virtual discussion: “How to Steal AI Algorithms at the Edge — and Protect Them,” with Wayne Churaman, microelectronics commons secure edge/internet of things computing technical executive lead at the Army Research Laboratory; William Zortman, digital assurance for high consequence systems campaign manager, Sandia National Laboratories’ Laboratory Directed Research and Development Office; Jon Mellott, chief engineer at Mercury Systems; and Tony Trinh, senior director, advanced concepts, Mercury Systems https://www.ndia.org/events/2025/7/15/how-to-steal-ai-algorithms
2 p.m. 2172 Rayburn — House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing: “F.Y. 2026 State Department Posture: Management and Resources,” with testimony from Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources http://foreignaffairs.house.gov
2 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute discussion: “Countering Communist Cyborgs: China Dystopian AI Ambitions and the Robotics Race,” with Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI); Martijn Rasser, senior director for economy, Special Competitive Studies Project; Divyansh Kaushik, vice president of Beacon Global Strategies; Bill Drexel, Hudson fellow; and Michael Sobolik, Hudson senior fellow https://www.hudson.org/events/countering-communist-cyborgs
3:30 p.m. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania — President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit, with Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) [email protected]
7 p.m. Aspen, Colo. — Aspen Institute 2025 Security Forum through July 18, with former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns; and Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braze https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
WEDNESDAY | JULY 16
9 a.m. — Hudson Institute China Center virtual conference: “After the Fall: Planning for a Post-Communist China,” with Chad Sbragia, former deputy assistant secretary of defense for China; and Piero Tozzi, staff director, Congressional-Executive Commission on China https://www.hudson.org/events/after-fall-planning-post-communist-china
9:15 a.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “U.S.-South Korea Trade Deal,” with former acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler, vice president of the Asia Society Policy Institute; Philip Luck, director of the CSIS Economics Program; Victor Cha, CSIS Korea chair; and Mark Lippert, CSIS nonresident senior adviser https://www.csis.org/events/us-south-korea-trade-deal
10 a.m. 419 Dirksen — Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing: “Reforming the State Department to Compete in the 21st Century,”with testimony from Michael Rigas, deputy secretary of state for management and resources http://foreign.senate.gov
10 a.m. — Atlantic Council virtual discussion: “Digital Occupation: Inside Russia Telegram Battle in Ukraine,” with Sviatoslav Hnizdovskiy, founder and CEO of OpenMinds; Elina Beketova, fellow, Center for European Policy Analysis Democratic Resilience Program; Yuliia Dukach, head of disinformation investigations, OpenMinds; and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine John Herbst, senior director of the Atlantic Council Eurasia Center https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/event/digital-occupation-inside-russias-telegram
11 a.m. Aspen, Colorado — Aspen Institute 2025 Security Forum through July 18, with Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, U.S. Space Command; Singapore Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan; Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Kruse; Gen. Randall Reed, commander, U.S. Transportation Command; Lt. Gen. John Brennan, deputy commander, U.S. Africa Command; Vice Adm. Frank Whitworth, director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency; former Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo; former U.S. Agency for International Development executive Director Henrietta Holsman Fore; and Former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Herzog https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
12:30 p.m. 2075 Rayburn — Defense Forum Foundation and the North Korea Freedom Coalition forum: “North Korea Future Hope: Jangmadang Generation Vision for a Free North Korea,” with Hyunseung Lee, founder of North Korean Young Leaders Assembly and lead strategist for the Global Peace Foundation; Eunsook Jang, Fullbright Scholar at Brandeis University; Jihyang Kim, Fullbright Scholar entering University in Fall; Jeongcheol Lee, Fullbright Scholar at Texas A&M; Jiil Kim, student a South Korean university; Seungjae Yang, MBA student at KonKuk University; Kangwoo Kim, graduate student at Kookmin University; Joonhyeok Hyeon, law student at Kookmin University Law School; Yoonseo Chae, student Dongguk University and guest lecturer for the Institute for Unification Education; and Suzanne Scholte, DFF president with translation provided by Johnny Park of DFF [email protected]
2 p.m. — Center for Strategic and International Studies virtual discussion: “Fortifying Deterrence Through Logistics,” with Patrick Kelleher, deputy assistant secretary of defense for materiel readiness; Maj. Gen. David Sanford, Air Force director of logistics operations and commander, joint regional combat support for the Defense Logistics Agency; and Cynthia Cook, director of the CSIS Defense-Industrial Initiatives Group and senior fellow at the CSIS Defense and Security Department https://www.csis.org/events/fortifying-deterrence-through-logistic
8 p.m. — Jews United for Democracy and Justice virtual discussion: “Russia War on Ukraine: Trump, Putin, Zelensky, and the Search for Peace,” with Max Boot, senior fellow in national security studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and contributor to the Washington Post; and Warren Olney, host and executive producer of the program “To The Point” https://www.jewsunitedfordemocracy.org/blog/event/july-16
THURSDAY | JULY 17
11 a.m. — Aspen Institute 2025 Security Forum through July 18 with Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; Gen. Bryan Fenton, commander, U.S. Special Operations Command; Navy Secretary John Phelan; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; Emil Michael, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering; and former White House national security adviser Stephen Hadley https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
3 p.m. — Defennse Priorities virtual discussion: “A new war next door? The case against U.S. military strikes in Mexico,” with Aileen Teague, assistant professor, Texas A&M Bush School of Government and Public Service; Dan DePetris, fellow, Defense Priorities; Colin Clarke; director of research, The Soufan Group; and Jennifer Kavanagh; senior fellow and director of military analysis, Defense Priorities https://www.defensepriorities.org/events/a-new-war-next-door
4 p.m. 1201 Pennsylvania Ave. NW — Hudson Institute book discussion: Butler: The Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America Heartland, with author Salena Zito https://www.hudson.org/events/politics-loyalty-survival-conversation-salena-zito
7 p.m. 5015 Connecticut Ave. NW — Politics and Prose Bookstore book discussion: The Mission: The CIA in the 21st Century,” with author Tim Weiner https://politics-prose.com/tim-weiner
FRIDAY | JULY 18
11 a.m. Aspen, Colorado — Aspen Institute 2025 Security Forum with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack; and former CIA Director David Petraeus; Senate Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (R-VA); Sen. Chris Coons (R-DE); and Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX); former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson; former Defense Secretary Mark Esper; Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd; former Defense Secretary Robert Gates; former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice; and former White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan https://www.youtube.com/c/aspeninstitute
